GROW

Grateful Recovering Online Women

2017 Group Conscience Decisions

This is a summary of the group conscience decisions made in 2017.

2016 | Apr 2017 | Oct 2017 | 2018 | Index

October 2017

  1. Increase the treasury Prudent Reserve to $122.00.

  2. Form a workgroup led by the current Webkeeper to develop a proposal for changing the GROW website and present that proposal at the April 2018 business meeting.

    GROW's webkeeper will form a small workgroup (no more 3 or 5 members) that will discuss and develop a proposal to present to the April 2018 business meeting for a path forward in addressing these two workgroup objectives:

    1. How to manage the group's increasing need for easy access and user friendliness to the GROW website with focus on weekly meeting topics and archival business meeting notes.
    2. How to address the roles of web-keeper and backup web-keeper so that they are accessible to more membership involvement (i.e., making the web-keeper position a rotating one and making the tasks of the roles of web-keeper and backup web-keeper less technical and more about maintaining content on the website.

    Specifically, the proposal to be presented to the April 2018 business meeting will include:

    • Recommended software, web hosting needs, and associated costs;
    • Timeline and steps for website conversion;
    • Recommended changes to the Webkeeper and Webkeeper Back-up positions; and
    • Any other recommendations to accomplish workgroup objectives.

  3. Add a bullet to the Trusted Servant Common Duties section that calls for Trusted Servants to inform the Steering Committee (through the Secretary and/or Business Chair) when they are unable to meet all the duties described in their Position Description.

    Recommended language:
    (as second bullet under the Trusted Servant Common Duties section at g-r-o-w.com/members/ts/tsdesc.htm#tscommon):

    Smooth and uninterrupted volunteer service to GROW depends upon your ability to carry out your commitments. If a Trusted Servant finds that she cannot meet all the duties listed in her Job Description, she will inform the Secretary and/or Business Meeting Chair that she is unable to fulfill her responsibilities. Working with the Trusted Servant and the Steering Committee, the Secretary and/or Business Chair will then seek alternatives for assuring all duties are covered (including securing a temporary back-up or advertising the position on the main list). If a member of the Steering Committee is concerned that not all items in a job description are being met, she may bring her concern to Secretary and/or Business Meeting Chair, who will work with the Trusted Servant to assure their duties are covered.

  4. Between this meeting (October 2017) and the April 2018 meeting, the Business Meeting Chair will work with prior and current Trusted Servants to review and update their position descriptions to be presented for approval in April.

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April 2017

  1. List of Proposals
    The Business Chair will send a list of proposals for consideration during the entire business meeting to both the main list as well as the business list.

  2. Name Change for Etiquette Letter/Webpage
    Change the name of the 'Etiquette Letter' that is sent out monthly by our Secretary and the heading on the GROW website etiquette page to 'GROW Mail List Guidelines.'

  3. Recommend separate e-mail address for GROW mail
    Add a recommendation that members overwhelmed by the mail volume create a separate e-mail address for GROW mail. The Approved Language will be placed:

    • prominently on the Welcome page of the Members' section of the GROW website
    • as a new second paragraph in the Etiquette Letter (GROW Mail List Guidelines)
    • as a new second paragraph in the Etiquette webpage (GROW Mail List Guidelines)

    Approved language:
    Sometimes, new members can be overwhelmed by the volume of e-mails coming through the list. If you experience this, you might find it helpful to create and use a separate email address to reduce the confusion of mixing GROW mail with your primary email address. There are many services that offer free e-mail (just search for "free e-mail accounts" on the web). Be sure to notify our Listkeeper at grow-owner@oso-aa.org if you change your address. You might also want to check out the Digest version containing the day's posts in a single e-mail (contact our Listkeeper to get the Digest).

  4. Discourage using social media with GROW members without their permission.
    Change the GROW Mail List Guidelines Letter and on the Mail List Guidelines to discourage contacting GROW members from contacting other members without their prior permission on social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

    Approved Language (new text bold italics):
    In keeping with AA's 11th Tradition and out of respect for anonymity, we do not: 1) include more than this mail list address on anything we post to the group; or 2) forward posts outside the list without getting permission from the original sender and deleting all identifying information; or 3) contact members on social media sites without their prior permission.

  5. Revised Greeter Letter #2
    Adopt the revised Greeter Letter #2 presented below to replace the existing form letter.

    Approved Greeter Letter #2:

    Welcome to GROW! Now that you're subscribed, this is one of two emails you will receive to help you start participating in our meeting right away. You might want to print these out for future reference.

    Email Volume
    We have found that sometimes the volume of mail through the GROW list can be overwhelming. If you experience this, you might find it very helpful to choose one of the following:

    • create and use a separate email address to reduce the confusion of mixing GROW mail with your primary email address. Please be sure to remember to let the Listkeepers know of your new address.
    • create folders for your GROW email; filters can also be set up to direct GROW mail into the GROW folder.
    • request the Digest Version (a file containing the day's posts in a single email). If you would prefer to receive the Digest version, please contact our Listkeeper at grow-owner@oso-aa.org and she will make the change for you.

    Topics
    A new meeting topic is sent to everyone on the list each Sunday and we share throughout the week. On topic and Off topic shares are welcome. We ask that Off topic posts be appropriate for an AA meeting. Please note in your subject line if your share is Off topic (we usually type Off Topic: ... )

    Sharing
    To share with the group, just address your email to grow@oso-aa.org and your post will be forwarded to all members. To ensure GROW emails do not get placed in your SPAM folder, please add this address to your Address Book.

    Reply
    Please do not use the "Reply to All' option when you respond privately to another member's post to GROW, as your personal message will also be directed to the GROW list and it will bounce to the Listkeepers.

    For those using phones and tablets, be aware that the default reply option is often "Reply to All", and double-check that you are not using "Reply to All".

    Please do not type in all CAPS, as this is considered to be yelling.

    You'll have a choice of receiving regular email (a separate message for each posting to the list) or the Digest Version (a file containing the day's posts in a single email). If you would prefer to receive the Digest version, please contact our Listkeeper at grow-owner@oso-aa.org and she will make the change for you. (paragraph deleted)

    The secretary posts information about the Trusted Servants and guidelines for our email etiquette once a month. The Listkeeper (the person who makes sure the technical side of our email list works smoothly) also posts information monthly.

    Web Site and Password
    You'll find lots more information on our GROW web site. The URL for GROW is: http://www.g-r-o-w.com. Some of the information is for members only, so you'll need the following:
    user name: sobertoday
    password: how2484

    Other
    If you have questions not answered by our website information, please write to me and I'll be sure to answer them or send your questions to someone who can.

    I hope Grateful Recovering Online Women is helpful to you in your journey and growth in sobriety.

    Again, welcome!
    [ Greeter Name ]
    Grateful Recovering Online Women

  6. Discourage use of URLs in e-mails to GROW
    Recommend that URLs Not be used in e-mails to GROW members except those linked to the AA, Grapevine, and GROW websites.

    Approved Language (new sentence in bold italics):
    Amend the existing bullet in the GROW Mail List Guidelines (Etiquette Letter) and corresponding webpage to add a sentence as follows: "We do not send attachments, chain letters, solicitations, virus alerts or announcements of non A.A. functions. We do not include URLs to sites outside GROW except links to the AA, Grapevine, and GROW websites."

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